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CONSTITUTION 

AND 

BY-LAWS 

OF  THE 

LIBERAL 

IMMIGRATION 

LEAGUE 


HEADQUARTERS: 

150  Nassau  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Post  Office  Box  1261. 


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CONSTITUTION  AND  BY-LAWS 

OF  THE 


LIBERAL  IMMIGRATION  LEAGUE 


For  the  purpose  of  uniting  all 
American  citizens  who  recognize  the 
importance  of  immigration  in  the  up¬ 
building  of  these  United  States  in  a 
combined  effort  to  further  the  public 
interest  through  promoting  the  welfare 
of  immigrants,  there  is  hereby  estab¬ 
lished  an  association  to  be  known  as 
the  Liberal  Immigration  League. 

ARTICLE  I. 

Objects  of  the  League. 

i.  To  effect  the  proper  regulation 
of  immigration  and  better  distribu¬ 
tion  of  the  immigrants. 


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2.  To  diminish  and  prevent  the 
overcrowding  of  immigrants  in  large 
cities,  and  especially  at  the  ports  of 
entry,  by  systematically  aiding  them 
to  go  to  towns  and  farming  districts 
in  different  parts  of  the  country  where 
their  services  will  be  most  available. 

3.  To  help  immigrants  to  form  in 
assigned  localities  such  new  settle¬ 
ments  as  will  benefit  both  them  and 
the  community. 

4.  To  advocate  the  enactment  of 
such  legislation  as  will  most  effectually 
promote  this  direction  of  immigrants. 

5.  To  oppose  any  further  increase 
of  the  restrictions  imposed  by  the 
present  immigration  laws,  and  all  un¬ 
just  and  un-American  methods  of  ad¬ 
ministering  these  laws. 

ARTICLE  II. 

Membership . 

Section  1.  The  membership  of  this 
League  will  be  divided  into  two 
classes,  designated  as  Members  and 
Associate  Members. 


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♦  Section  2.  Members  shall  be  or¬ 
ganized  associations  and  societies  which 
are  in  sympathy  with  the  aims  and 
purposes  of  the  League. 

Section  3.  The  Associate  Member¬ 
ship  shall  consist  of  individual  persons 

*  of  good  moral  character  who  are  citi¬ 
zens  of  the  United  States. 

Section  4.  Each  corporate  member 
shall  be  entitled  to  two  delegates  to  all 
meetings  of  the  League  for  each  one 
hundred  or  fraction  of  that  number  of 
members  of  their  respective  organi¬ 
zations. 

Section  5.  Associate  Members  shall 
be  entitled  to  a  seat  and  have  the  right 
of  debate  at  all  meetings  of  the  League, 
but  shall  not  have  the  right  to  vote  at 
such  meetings. 

ARTICLE  III. 

Membership  Dues. 

Section  i.  Corporate  Members 
shall  not  be  obligated  for  any  stated 

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membership  dues,  or  any  payments 
other  than  voluntary  contributions. 

Section  2.  Associate  members  shall 
pay  into  the  Treasury  of  the  League 
an  annual  fee  of  One  Dollar. 

Section  3.  The  annual  fee  shall  be 
payable  on  the  first  day  of  July  of  each 
year,  and  the  first  payment  shall  con¬ 
stitute  the  initiation  fee. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

Location  and  Branches. 

Section  i.  This  League  shall  have 
its  Central  Office  in  the  City  of  New 
York,  but  Branches  thereof  may  be 
established  anywhere  within  the  juris¬ 
diction  of  the  United  States. 

Section  2.  Two  or  more  associa¬ 
tions,  or  ten  or  more  individuals,  may 
combine  to  form  a  branch  of  this 
League.  Such  branches  shall  frame 
their  own  form  of  organization  subject 
to  the  Constitution  and  By-Laws  of 
this  League. 


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Section  3.  Branches  composed  of 
individual  members  shall  be  entitled 
to  one  delegate  to  the  general  meet¬ 
ings  of  the  League  for  each  fifty  or 
fraction  of  that  number  of  members  of 
the  branch. 

ARTICLE  V. 

Officers. 

Section  i.  The  officers  of  the 
League  shall  be  a  President,  a  Vice- 
President,  a  Secretary,  a  Treasurer, 
and  a  Board  of  Directors. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

Duties  of  the  Officers. 

Section  i.  The  President  shall  pre¬ 
side  over  all  meetings,  perform  the 
usual  duties  of  his  office,  and  be  chair¬ 
man  of  the  Board  of  Directors. 

Section  2.  The  Vice-President  shall 
perform  all  the  duties  of  the  President 
in  case  of  the  latter’s  disability  or  ab¬ 
sence.  He  shall  be  ex-officio  member 
of  the  Board  of  Directors. 

Section  3.  The  Secretary  of  the 
League  shall  also  be  Secretary  of  the 


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Board  of  Directors  and  ex-officio  mem¬ 
ber  thereof.  He  shall  perform  the 
usual  duties  of  his  office  and  shall  have 
the  custody  of  all  papers  and  docu-  .f 
ments  appertaining  to  the  general  busi¬ 
ness  of  the  League. 

Section  4.  The  Treasurer  shall  re¬ 
ceive  and  disbuse  all  funds  of  the 
League  subject  to  such  regulations  as 
shall  be  provided  by  the  Board  of  Di¬ 
rectors.  He  shall  present  full  reports 
of  such  receipts  and  disbursements  at 
such  times  as  shall  be  prescribed  by 
the  aforesaid  regulations  and  shall  be 
ex  officio  member  of  the  Board  of  Di¬ 
rectors. 

Section  5.  The  Board  of  Directors 
shall  comprise  a  minimum  of  twelve 
members,  in  addition  to  the  members 
ex-officio.  The  Board  shall  have  power 
to  add  to  its  own  membership  as  time 
and  occasion  may  render  expedient 
and  it  shall  be  its  duty  to  make  such 
rules  and  regulations  as  may  be  requi¬ 
site  in  conducting  the  affairs  of  the 
League. 


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ARTICLE  VII. 

Managing  Director. 

Section  i.  The  Board  of  Directors 
shall  elect  from  their  own  member¬ 
ship  a  Managing  Director,  who  shall 
have  charge  of  the  Central  office  of  the 
League  with  power  to  appoint  and  re¬ 
move  his  immediate  assistants.  He 
shall  supervise  and  direct  the  expend¬ 
itures  of  the  League  under  regulations 
provided  by  the  Board  of  Directors 
and  be  empowered  to  call  upon  the 
Treasurer  for  the  funds  requisite  for 
that  purpose.  He  shall  make  an  ac¬ 
counting  of  such  expenditures  once  in 
each  month  and  on  such  other  inter¬ 
vals  and  occasions  as  the  Board  of 
Directors  may  determine.  The  Man¬ 
aging  Director  shall  be  ex-officio  mem¬ 
ber  of  all  standing  committees  of  the 
Board. 

ARTICLE  VIII. 

Meetings  of  the  League. 

Section  i.  There  shall  be  an  annual 
meeting  of  the  League  during  the 
month  of  May  of  each  year,  the  date 
and  place  of  such  meeting  to  be 


determined  by  the  Board  of  Directors, 
and  not  less  than  thirty  days’  notice 
thereof  to  be  given  by  the  Secretary 
to  the  members  of  the  League. 

Section  2.  Special  meetings  of  the 
League  may  be  called  by  the  Presi¬ 
dent  or  through  him  at  the  written  re¬ 
quest  of  five  members  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  not  less  than  ten  days’  no¬ 
tice  of  such  meeting  and  of  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  the  same  to  be  given  by  the 
Secretary  to  the  members  of  the 
League. 

Section  3.  At  all  meetings  of  the 
League  the  members  present  shall 
constitute  a  quorum. 

ARTICLE  IX. 

Amendments. 

This  Constitution  may  be  amended 
by  a  vote  of  not  less  than  two-thirds 
of  the  members  present  at  any  meet¬ 
ing  of  the  League,  provided  that  notice 
of  the  proposed  amendment  shall  have 
been  included  in  the  notice  of  such 
meeting. 

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BY-LAWS. 

ARTICLE  I. 

Applications  for  Membership . 

Section  i.  Organizations  may  be¬ 
come  corporate  members  of  this 
League  by  a  majority  vote  of  the 
Board  of  Directors,  on  written  applica¬ 
tion  for  membership  addressed  to  the 
Liberal  Immigration  League,  New 
York  City.  Such  applications  shall 
state  the  number  of  members  of  the 
applicant  society,  and  be  accompanied 
by  a  copy  of  its  Constitution  and  By- 
Laws  and  a  list  of  the  members. 

Section  2.  Individuals  may  become 
associate  members  of  the  League  by  a 
majority  vote  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
on  written  application  addressed  to  the 
League  as  above,  accompanied  by  the 
annual  payment  of  $1.00. 

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ARTICLE  II. 

Meetings  of  the  Board  of  Directors. 

Section  i.  A  stated  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  shall  he  held  once 
in  each  month,  at  such  time  and  place 
as  the  Board  may  determine. 

Section  2.  Special  meetings  of  the 
Board  may  he  convened  hy  the  Presi¬ 
dent,  or  through  him  on  the  written 
request  of  three  of  its  members. 

Section  3.  At  all  meetings  of  the 
Board,  one-third  of  the  full  number 
of  members  shall  constitute  a  quorum. 

ARTICLE  III. 

Committees . 

Section  i.  The  President  shall  ap¬ 
point  from  among  the  members, 
associate  members,  and  Board  of 
Directors,  the  following  Committees  : 

General  Committee. 

Advisory  Committee. 

Membership  Committee. 

Committee  on  Ways  and  Means. 


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Educational  Committee. 

Committee  of  Observation. 

Committee  on  Public  Meetings. 

♦  Section  2.  The  various  standing 

committees  shall  frame  rules  and  regu¬ 
lations  for  the  performance  of  their 
respective  functions. 

Section  3.  The  number  of  members 
of  the  various  standing  committees 
shall  be  determined  by  the  President 
except  where  definitely  specified  by 
the  Board  of  Directors. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

Amendments . 

These  By-Laws  may  be  amended  by 
a  majority  vote  of  any  meeting  of  the 
League,  provided  that  notice  of  the 
proposed  amendment  shall  be  included 
in  the  notice  of  such  meeting. 


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